


Fancy

by Dreamin



Category: Bridgerton (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anthony is 38, F/M, Penelope is 25, Significant Age Gap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29349756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Eloise repays her brother's kindness with a little matchmaking.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton & Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton & Penelope Featherington
Comments: 37
Kudos: 115





	Fancy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Inspired by a prompt from afteriwake.
> 
> Edit 12Feb21: I turned off guest comments because one guest used an email that didn't belong to them.

“I cannot believe this! Ten! Ten times I sent out this bloody manuscript and ten times it’s been rejected! Ugh!” Eloise flopped onto her couch and sulked like the teenager she hadn’t been in years. She took one more look at the front of her romance novel manuscript then tossed it aside. “I’ve made all the adjustments they told me to but still no one wants it.”

“Has it occurred to you that by now, it’s so heavily edited that it no longer sounds original?” her oldest brother asked from the sitting room doorway. He had a key to her flat for emergencies, but Anthony always considered dropping in on his sister just to chat an “emergency.”

She looked up to see him holding a pizza box and her face lit up. “You’re a lifesaver!” Jumping up, she then followed him into the kitchen.

They ate at the island. At first, neither of them talked about anything substantial, just family gossip and the weather. Finally, Anthony finished his second slice of pizza then raised an eyebrow at her. “Why don’t you let me read the original version, before all of those suggested edits?”

“Okay, one, I don’t let anyone I know personally read my writing. Two, I’m not about to let my brother read my romance novel. Three, you’re not a writer so what advice could you give?”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “One, if you want the whole world to read your writing, don’t you think you should at least start with the people you know? Two, according to Siena, most romance novels don’t have any sex scenes until the second half of the book, so just let me read the first half. Three, true but I’ve read and seen enough fiction, good and bad, to know what works and what doesn’t.”

Eloise gave him a sympathetic smile. “How long has it been since you two broke up?”

“Six months.” He took a sip of his beer. “I hear she’s dating a movie producer now.” He only sounded a little bitter.

“Right.” She considered her options for a moment then sighed resignedly. “If I send you the first half, do you promise not to tease me about it?”

Anthony grinned. “I promise.”

“Okay, I’ll email it to you tonight.”

“Good, it’ll give me something to read before bed. Don’t worry, El – we’ll get the problems worked out and you’ll be published in no time.” He sounded so confident that Eloise had to smile.

“Thanks.” She thought about her brother’s social life as she ate her pizza. “If you’re done with rebound relationships, there’s someone I know who fancies you, but I’ll only tell you who she is if you’re ready for something real.”

Anthony immediate perked up at that. “Who fancies me? Do I know her? How long has she fancied me? And how big is the infatuation? I mean, is it an ‘Oh, he’s fit, I could go for him’ or is it a ‘I want to marry you and have your babies’ kind of thing?”

Eloise smirked. “I’ll tell you her name but the rest is up for you to find out.”

“You’re a cruel woman, Eloise,” he muttered.

“Just for that, I’m not even going to tell you her name, I’m just going to have you talk to her.” She grabbed her mobile and dialed a number then passed the phone to him. “Don’t peek.”

Anthony rolled his eyes then took the phone and held it to his ear as it rang. _Please be somebody I know, please be somebody I know, please be-_

“Hi, Eloise,” a familiar voice said.

Anthony’s eyes widened. “Penelope?” _Pen fancies me?_

“Anthony?” she asked, confused. “Why are you on Eloise’s phone? Oh God, is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” he assured her quickly. “She, um, she gave me her phone because she said a friend of hers, um, fancies me and she wanted me to talk to her … you.”

“Oh God… I’m going to kill El,” Penelope muttered.

He had to grin at that. “Don’t, she still has to write the next great romance novel.” He took a deep breath. “What would you say to dinner? At my place? Tomorrow?”

The silence lasted long enough that he checked the phone to make sure they were still connected, then she said, “Um, okay. Eloise keeps bragging about your cooking, I’d love to try it.”

Anthony grinned. “Great! Let’s say seven, it’ll give me enough time to cook after work. You like chicken marsala, right?”

“It’s my favorite,” Penelope said, sounding surprised. “Did Eloise tell you that?”

“She’s told me a lot about you, actually,” he said, still grinning. _I wondered why before but now I know._ “So, it’s a date?”

“It’s a date,” she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. “Could you hand the phone back to El now, please? I need to verbally wring her neck.”

Anthony chuckled as he gave the phone to his sister. “It’s for you.”

Eloise took it then held it up to her ear, grinning. “Don’t be angry, you know I had to do something since you were never going to.”

He couldn’t hear Penelope’s response but he could hear her high-pitched voice and he was pretty sure she was excited, not angry. Chuckling, he finished his beer then stood up. “I’ll see you later, El. I need to get to the store.”

“Don’t forget the condoms,” she said, smirking.

Anthony knew he and Penelope had the same reaction – “Eloise!”

She just laughed.


End file.
